Traditional electrical distribution systems have existed relatively unchanged in control topography for many years, due in part to the high cost of altering the infrastructure. More recently, efforts to improve the efficiency and reliability of electrical distribution grids have increased from both private and public interests in electrical distribution systems incorporating intelligent or computerized control systems, e.g., “smart grids”. One well-publicized component related to “smart grids” is the smart electrical meter. The smart meter, found at both residential and commercial customers, allows electrical consumption information to be transmitted to a distribution-level control center (DCC).
However, the traditional DCC operates in a flat control topography environment. As such, data from smart meters is typically communicated to the DCC for use in control of the electrical distribution grid. This conventional topography for electrical distribution control systems does not incorporate intermediate levels of data acquisition, processing, and grid control. Where there are ever increasing numbers of smart meters, though, the flat topography becomes problematic. For example, data transmission from millions of smart meters to a single DCC can require large amounts of bandwidth and can be sensitive to communications network fluctuations or faults. In a further example, data consumption at the DCC can be computationally intensive. Issues with the flat control topography, including data transmission and data consumption aspects, can be further magnified where additional smart devices are deployed in the electrical distribution grid, e.g., fault sensors, micro-environmental data, etc.
Additionally, the flat control topography of the traditional electrical distribution system is likely to face hurdles with the incorporation of distributed power generation systems. Many electrical sources in distributed generation systems are time variant. For example, wind turbines are subject to power fluctuation in time based on wind speed, solar power is time variant based on cloud cover, plug-in electrical vehicles with surplus power can be disconnected at a moment's notice, etc. Distributed power generation is likely to introduce a need for high speed adjustments to portions of the electrical distribution system, as close to real time adjustment as possible, and simultaneously be likely to produce a flood of electrical consumption data. In a flat control topography, this additional data flow is likely to exacerbate the deficiencies of data throughput and processing. This can result in slower dynamic adjustment of the distribution network where, in fact, faster adjustment is desirable due to the increased demand for processing of such data.
Further, additional sensitivity to communications network faults causes the flat topography control system to become increasingly perilous to grid control and can seriously affect downstream consumers. As more data passes directly to the DCC due to the proliferation of smart devices generating consumable data for grid control, the DCC becomes more dependent on this additional data for proper grid control. Where the DCC is dependent on this increased data flow for proper grid control, even minor diminished bandwidth can impair the flat grid control system by reducing the amount of data accessible for proper control. Hyper-dependable communications systems over an entire distribution grid is desirable for a reliable electrical system, but is burdened under the sheer volume of smart data anticipated in the future electrical grid.
Moreover, historically, energy supply was considered essentially limitless in that a transmission grid could provide as much energy as a distribution grid could distribute to subscribers. For example, when a subscriber turned on a light bulb, somewhere a coal fired power plant burned a little more coal to provide the energy to illuminate the bulb. Where more energy was needed, additional power plants were added to the electrical grids. However, the costs of adding additional large-scale power plants to electrical grids to maintain an excess of supply in the energy market can be prohibitive. For example, construction costs can be large, environmental footprints can be daunting, and maintenance and upkeep under increasingly strict regulation can be demanding. As such, it is becoming increasingly desirable to wring more efficiency out of existing energy resources rather than adding increased capacity by traditional routes.
The above-described deficiencies of traditional electrical transmission and distribution grids are merely intended to provide an overview of some of the problems of conventional technologies, and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other problems with conventional technologies and corresponding benefits of the various non-limiting embodiments described herein may become further apparent upon review of the following description.